Residents in Bexley will have to pay a membership fee to have full access to their public library.

Bexley Library, which is run by the borough council, is to be handed over to a community group which is set to charge users £24 a year.

Although non-paying users will still be able to borrow books, paying members will be able to take out more and keep them for an unlimited time.

Other benefits will include some free time on public computers - all other computer time will be charged - discounts in the café and priority booking for events. There will also be a "gold" membership where customers can join as a patron for £75 a year.

Bexley Village Community Library, the group taking control, said it would reinvest income earned through membership in new library stock. The move, which will come into effect on April 1, is expected to save council bosses about £40,000 a year. However, Bexley council said it would not be handing over control of any other libraries.

Some have criticised the plans, saying the council should be providing the service free. Grandfather David Hinds, 75, from Bexley, said: "The bare bones of the agreement seem to be not quite what I was anticipating at all. I think it's all fairly appalling. I feel it's introducing a two-tier system."

He added: "Twenty four pounds a year is not an unreasonable sum but you don't expect to pay for library services. It's a very affluent area and we pay our council tax. I think we deserve these services."

But Jonathan Rooks, chairman of charity Greener Bexley, the organisation that founded BVCL, insisted users would still be able to use the library free.

He said it planned to improve services. He said: "Rather than getting up in arms and saying 'don't close the library' we came up with a plan that would make it open more hours. It will be open for nine more hours a week." Bexley council leader Teresa O'Neill said: "We will continue to supply some book stock to the library on an annual basis ensuring that residents will have access to a broad range of material to suit all tastes."

She added that a part-time member of staff would also be seconded to work with BVCL at the library.

The Evening Standard's Save Our Libraries campaign is backed by leading authors including Will Self, Martina Cole and Benjamin Zephaniah.